Ask tennis player Martina Frantova what she misses most about her home inBratislava, Slovakia, and she won’thesitate to answer. “Food, for sure,”says Frantova, a junior on the Wolfpackwomen’s tennis team. “We have ournational dish, Bryndzove halusky. It’slike a dumpling with cottage cheese.”But last fall, Frantova found theaftertaste that winning left on herpalette was sweet enough to replacethe longing for those dumplings. Shewent 16-3 in singles, defeated fiveplayers ranked by the IntercollegiateTennis Association and won the goldsingles championship at the U.S. TennisAssociation Clay Court Invitationalin November. The ITA currently hasFrantova ranked 35th nationally.

Growing up in Bratislava, she mostlywatched ice hockey. Her father playedas an amateur and her uncle playedprofessionally. But when she was tryingto figure out what sport to play herself,she turned to more individual sportslike swimming, gymnastics and trackand field. When she turned 12 and feltcompelled to focus on one sport, shechose tennis, the one “where I’m myown boss.”After playing in Slovakia for sometime, she and her father started makingannual trips to Florida, where her auntand uncle lived. Those trips afforded herthe opportunity to train and play tennisdaily for months at a time, something shehad not done back home. It helped herrealize that she wanted to pursue tennisat a highly competitive level. She startedstaying in the U.S. six months at a time,and by the time she turned 17 she washolding her own in national tournaments.

Soon Frantova was faced witha decision about whether to turnprofessional or go to college. “I basicallyskipped junior tennis. I started late,” shesays. “I felt that hurt me because I didn’thave that much experience. I didn’t havethe confidence. I needed to grow up.”So she chose college and landed atNC State, where she’s studying business,after transferring from Mississippi StateUniversity in 2015. She says head coachSimon Earnshaw has helped improveher fitness and conditioning. “I need toget stronger,” says Frantova, 23. “I’m anaggressive player. I’m never just goingto be behind the baseline.”With that focus and also, as a nodto the Slovakian cuisine she misses,you won’t find her at McDonald’s orWendy’s. “We cook a lot more than youguys,” she says. “You guys go out to eathere. In Slovakia, fast food would be theexpensive meal.” —Chris Saunders

Junior Martina Fratova has taken a prominent seat at the table for Wolfpack tennis, but she
still misses food like the cottage cheese dumplings, above, from her home country, Slovakia.